


Uncharted Waters

by alectrona



Category: Winner (Band), f(x)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-22
Updated: 2015-12-22
Packaged: 2018-08-12 19:18:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7946050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alectrona/pseuds/alectrona
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Taehyun has the weirdest of habits and oddest choice of hobbies; apparently Soojung shares the same, and a lot more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Uncharted Waters

**Author's Note:**

> This is a very lazy and self-indulgent writing inspired by the similarity I feel on their instagram feeds ([souththth](http://instagram.com/souththth) and [vousmevoyez](http://instagram.com/vousmevoyez)). I'm also heavily inspired by [this essay](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/03/style/modern-love-college-essay-winner.html) on modern love.

The night is still young but Nam Taehyun had already drunk up one too many bottles of alcohol. And unfortunately for him (or amusingly for his friends, maybe) he’s the type of person who gets a bit too loud and wild when he’s drunk.

_That_ is how he ends up embarrassingly dancing on the kitchen table to ABBA’s Dancing Queen that he chose from the iPod plugged to the speaker.

“YOU CAN DANCE”

Hands pointed to the laughing classmates below him.

“YOU CAN JAH-AH-AIVE”

Sharp 180° body turn, hands pointed to the couples making out in the kitchenette.

“HAVING THE TIME OF YOUR LAH-AIFE”

Hands pointed upwards, body rolling down in a funnily awkward manner with his long neck arched back.

“SEE THAT GIRL”

He jerked upwards and pointed his forefinger to a random girl sitting next to the house’s front window, sipping on a glass of champagne.

“WATCH THAT SCENE, DIGGING THE DANCING-”

He plunged himself to (what’s in his mind) a crowd gathered below him (whereas it actually is just a handful of his Renaissance classmates recording his embarrassing act to be shared to the whole class later) and fell with a sad loud plop to two neon-colored beanbags.

“queen.”

And then he passed out.

\---

‘Nam “Dancing King” Taehyun (MUST WATCH!!)’ became the most shared and most talked about video for the rest of the week for the guys in the Visual Arts major – nothing new, as before there were ‘Nam Taehyun – Gangnam Style (wasted as FUCK – lol)’ and ‘Summer 2015 – Nam Taehyun drunk compilations’. It’s not that Taehyun doesn’t handle his alcohol well, but his friends are assholes that mixed Jägermeister here and there and Taehyun just drinks _a lot_.

“I fucking swear,” he said as he sits down between Seunghoon and Seungyoon, “I will die an early death from alcohol poisoning.”

“Then stop drinking, you dumbass,” Seunghoon, the 2nd year Performing Arts major student Taehyun met on History of Art class who turned into his closest friend slash flat mate, said nonchalantly.

Taehyun, still with his round and vintage sunglasses, put down his messenger bag on the table and went to take out his notebook.

“Just what did I drink that night? My head still hurts and I had to gather my remaining spirits just to wake up and go to the bathroom. I spent, like, what, three hours? Just to get ready. Ugh, I even slept the whole day yesterday, waking up only to crawl my ass off to the bathroom and vomits a shitload. The worst hangover I’ve had in college, I swear. Give me that,” Taehyun grabbed a bag of chips from Seungyoon.

“Be thankful you have me as your flat mate. Others would leave you to die on the bathroom floor.” Seungyoon can’t be truer than this – the guy deserves a medal for taking care of Taehyun and his episodes of hangovers, as well as bearing with Taehyun’s dramatic breakdowns involving his collection of scented candles and vinyl records.

“Shut up. By the way, in that video, I pointed to this girl that was sitting near the window. Do you know who she is?”

“Yeah, she’s quite a hottie. Heard that she’s from the Psychology major?” If Nam Taehyun is the king of drinking and Kang Seungyoon is all mothers’ dream son-in-law, Lee Seunghoon is your resident womanizer. The slender and highly popular guy used a majority of his brainpower in memorizing names and majors and SNS accounts of girls (or “prospects”, as he disgustingly calls them).

“Don’t even think about it,” taking his bag of chips hastily back to his hands and closed his book abruptly, Seungyoon startled the other two guys.

“Huh? Why? You’ve set your eyes on her already?”

“No, but just, don’t think about approaching her, she’s off-limits and anyways, she’s totally not your type, Taehyun. I gotta run now – but DO NOT, think about it.”

Seungyoon grabbed his bag and lightly slaps the back of Taehyun’s head as he walks away from the student room.

“Ya, Kang Seungyoon! Kang Seungyoon! I haven’t even started to copy your notes! Ya!” Taehyun’s fruitless shouts echoed in the student room.

\---

“You know, he’s kinda cute”

“What do you mean he’s kinda cute? He was drunk as hell and he’s good at making a fool of himself, what’s cute about that?”

“Exactly. He’s cute like that, don’t you think?”

“Not at all, not at a gunpoint, nope, nada. Not Nam Taehyun please. Date anyone at all but not my disgusting flat mates”

“My dear Kkang, I’m a fully grown attractive young lady, I’m free to roam as I please. Give me his number”

“Not in a lifetime,” and just like that, Seungyoon immersed himself in the bucket of chicken in front of him and pretends he doesn’t hear whatever his childhood friend Soojung says about the drunken guy on the party.

\---

To Seungyoon’s many protests and complains, Taehyun succeeded (of course with dear Seunghoon’s assistance) in getting Soojung’s number and it was a reciprocal feeling on her end. The two started their (not too) passive (and more) aggressive flirting that includes Taehyun scheming a devious plan involving his unknowing friend Jinwoo in a vinyl record store, Soojung’s _accidental_ library books mismatches, and Seungyoon stuck in the middle of messages relays between the two lovebirds. People could see why the two ended up attracted to each other – but at the same time people could also see why they haven’t started officially dating yet (hint: they are each too sassy for their own good).

“I thought you were going to the cinema with Soojung?"

“She canceled it,” answered Taehyun indifferently while grabbing a bowl of chestnuts he found on the dining table. “Who is this from?”

“Mino gave it earlier, he said screw chestnuts over chocolates. You know, cancelling his diet plans for the umpteenth time. Why did she cancel, though? Told you she's not that into you.”

“She said she wanted to sleep.”

“Told you so, forget about her already”

“But she said,” as he opens the chestnuts, “I'm free to come over her flat for DVDs. And I said yes. So, eat that.”

And just like that, Taehyun threw the chestnut shells to Seungyoon’s irritated face and Seungyoon swore to the gods he wouldn’t ask these two weirdos of a friend about each other ever again.

Taehyun came over her place in a black leather jacket, matching black oxford shoes, white shirt and black denim trousers. They spent a good fifteen minutes deciding between a Before Sunrise-Before Sunset-Before Midnight (his choice) or a Wes Anderson (her choice) DVD marathon – before finally succumbing to chance and lets a coin decide the choice for their night-in. Albeit being insanely attracted to each other, they spent the night in the most platonic way possible: simply cans of sodas, saltine crackers, a bowl of microwaved popcorn, two blankets, Soojung’s IKEA-sourced couch, DVDs, and two pairs of warm socks. Taehyun did spend the night in her flat when the two overslept in the middle of The Grand Budapest Hotel, and in the morning after, they had eggs for breakfast (she likes it hard-boiled and he likes it on toast). After that Taehyun went home and that’s just that. No labels, no fuzz, no complications, nothing.

\---

“I love The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle more, you should give it a try.”

“Hm, but Norwegian Wood is the more famous one though?”

“What about you bring the two of them and read the first chapter and choose?”

“You’re a genius Nam Taehyun,” and Soojung took the two books from the bookshelves, plant a light kiss on Taehyun’s chubby cheek and jumpily bring them to the pastel colored rattan chair near the windowsill.

_Literati_ is a private library slash book café owned by the university’s book club where each of the members had to donate at least two of their books to the collection upon entry to the club – and it’s Soojung and Taehyun’s place of choice to spend their seventh Tuesday afternoon together. They have been seeing each other for seven weeks and going strong by now as they are each other’s final piece in an askew jigsaw puzzle. Soojung finally found someone who would understand her choice to sleep and lounge and skip class all day long because she feels like it, and Taehyun finally found someone who wouldn’t storm out a campaign of protests when Taehyun decides it’s a fragrance mixing night as he combines freesia with peony and a slightly fainter citrus in his room.  
All was perfect, _except_ Taehyun couldn’t just give a concise answer when Seungyoon confronted him whether he is now dating her or not. And he couldn’t figure it out either what he is to her and she to him.

This leads to Taehyun saying, “hey can I ask you a question,” in a light speed as he sits down next to Soojung carrying Chuck Palahniuk’s Haunted for him to read.

“Mm-hmm?” she responded nonchalantly while she immerses herself in Murakami’s books. She’s the type of person Taehyun really falls for – the cool, unattached type but clings to you enough to get you addicted to her, and not to mention she’s unconventionally very pretty. Lost in her beauty, he decided to shy away from risking to jeopardize their already comfortable relationship and asks instead,

“What’s the name of the coffee shop from yesterday?”

\---

The next two months passed by and Taehyun and Soojung are still sharing vinyl records and going to the vintage markets together. It’s not all smooth and shiny though – they too, have their fair share of quarrels (in which Kang Seungyoon is the go-to person). He doesn’t like it if she’s too independent and she doesn’t like it if he’s too self-centered. The caveat to their quarrels however, is that there is nothing to talk about because there is nothing to begin with.

“ _Yes,_ but you can’t just disappear like that, Nam. It’s not like the world revolves around you!” When Soojung starts calling Taehyun by his surname you know she’s boiling mad.

“And the world doesn’t revolve around you either, my dear Krystal, I’m free to do as I please,” the same goes when Taehyun starts calling Soojung by her tumblr username Krystal.

“Anyways,” he said in between his cigarette inhales and exhales, “who are you to me to begin with to start dictating what I should or shouldn’t do.”

“We are not going there again, Nam.”

“Don’t start then, Krys.”

And so Soojung leaves his flat.

\---

The clock strikes eleven p.m. when they entered Soojung’s dominantly red-colored bedroom each planting smooches on another’s forehead, cheeks, nose, lips, neck, collarbone and whatnots. It must be the cabernet sauvignon kicking in or the six-month long infatuation for this evening, they think, screw platonic and comfortable relationship nonsenses.

“I don’t know,” Taehyun whispered, “how I was able,” a kiss on the back of her head, “to resist this for six fucking months?”

They played a sexy bossa nova on the background and it was _The Girl from Ipanema_ when they had their first time.

“So what are we going to do now,” she asked half an hour later.

“Watch a DVD?”

“No, dumbass. Like what are we now then? With what we did and all?” Soojung’s ceiling was decorated with glow in the dark star-shaped stickers and it must have been so nice to look at as the two of them speak with eyes fixated on the ceiling. Six minutes and nineteen seconds later, Taehyun answered the question with a kiss on her hand and he tucks her to bed with no further question asked.

\---

It was the start of autumn when Taehyun saw Soojung sharing a dinner table with another man (Seunghoon said he was from Engineering Physics major), a bit too romantic for his liking. That night he picked Seunghoon up from his weekly soccer club practice and Seungyoon from his studies and had the highest blood alcohol level in his life. He was surprisingly devastated (“weren’t you the one who said you’re not into commitments and all, and everything was good between the two of you, and it was an open and free relationship just like how you’ve always wanted it to be?” – Taehyun was about to punch Seungyoon in the face when he said this) to see the scene from the university café. He thought it must be because he’s about to lose a companion to a stupid science snob but Seunghoon thinks differently.

“Isn’t our little Nam Taehyun here so cute when he’s in love?”

“I am fucking not. And don’t start preaching about being in love, you freaking playboy of a guy, you don’t know shit about love.”

“Haven’t you heard about that one time Seunghoon fell for a girl from International Politics? He was head over heels for her, it was one of the most amusing moments of my life” Seungyoon said, which Seunghoon responded lovingly with a painful slap on Seungyoon’s shoulder blades.

“I know for a fact that if I confront her asking who he is, she would respond with the same-old ‘ _who am I to you anyways’_ so I’d rather not.”

“I told-”

“Kang fucking Seungyoon if you’re going to say ‘I told you so’ you’re eight months too late and I’m not joking when I say I’m about to punch you in the face”

“I told _her_ she should make things clearer than what it is now. It’s toxic for the both of you.”

“And what makes you think that’s going to help? Since, you know, after you say that she’s seeing another guy?”

“Because, Nam Taehyun,” Seungyoon sighs, “my flat mate has turned super cranky and my childhood friend super moody because all these drama. So the next time you two think of fighting or whatever you want to call it, remember that there are a shitload of people that are affected by your idealistic principle of ‘no commitment, no hassle’ nonsense. Aish, I swear I’ll go crazy.”

\---

One drunk call and seventeen drunk texts later, Taehyun scored himself an appointment with Soojung the next evening (which he partially regrets, but partially relieved). He chose the all-time favorite IKEA couch on her flat as _the_ place to do _the_ talk. He’s dead certain to ask Soojung once and for all the clarity of their…thing (because Taehyun thinks calling it a relationship is rather unfitting). No fancy music in the background, no fancy liquor, no fancy saltines, no fancy fragrances – Taehyun wants a brutal honesty.

“Well,”

“Well?”

He started but couldn’t get to get his mind straight.

“This is the same old story, but just listen, okay? Well…when we began the stuffs we don’t want to label it simply because we think it’s less hassle and more fun. Keeping our options open and not fully dependent on a single person that could just snatch away your heart and leaves you with a gaping, heartless hole. Not wanting to be vulnerable. But I think doing what we’re doing now does not do us any good. Take a leap of faith, Krys.”

“Are you going to end it asking for commitments and all that, Nam? Are you upset that I was having dinner with someone that is not you?”

“Nope, this is going to be our last chat about this. And maybe, because I’m still human after all.”

“Uhh… I don’t know, Nam. Being committed to you, I think, is like going to uncharted waters. It’s scary and full of surprises – and they might not be the good kind of surprises”

“Krys, what we are now, this _thing, stuff,_ whatever, is already _within_ the uncharted waters and beyond. We are uncertain as fuck!”  
Soojung shudders.

“So krystalnite.tumblr.com, what is it that you want?”

“I want to try making no bake cheesecake tomorrow, it sounds easy and delicious…” she spaced out.

“Ya, Jung Soojung, it’s not funny nor attractive at all. Just answer me, do you want this thing to end?”

“Nam Taehyun, there is nothing to begin with.”

Silence for a good minute and in Nam Taehyun’s head he’s swearing all the curse words that he knows.

“Fine. Ok fine if you said so.”

Soojung traced the pattern on the couch pillow with her forefinger and Taehyun closes his eyes, resting his head on the wall behind the couch.

“Although, I don’t think I will ever get over you and your droopy eyebrows.”

“What kind of bullshit-”

“Because, what is there to end, if you ask me whether I want this to end? What loose ends are there to tie? With no end and closure to make, no loose ends to tie, how do you even give a chance to move on?”

By now Taehyun joins Soojung in tracing the pattern on the pillows – it’s surprisingly addictive and calming.

“I swear we are the dumbest of all people, and it must have been a very unlucky occurrence that my drunken self decided to notice you during my Dancing Queen episode and then, in the lack of better fitting word, get together, that we ended up making all the dumb decisions in love.”  
They ran out of patterns to trace so they decided to interlock their gaze.

“Funny word, don’t you think, love?” she asked.

“Yeah. Funny world, too,” he said.

“Yeah. Funny word,” she said.

\---

_Hi Nam, it’s Krys._  
_How are you?_  
_Found this Blu-Ray earlier today – Dr. Strangelove. Thought you might be interested in it…_

One minute later and the ‘seen 09:02 PM’ text she hoped to appear below her facebook message is still absent.  
So with a long sigh, she typed:

_Do you want to take a leap of faith?_

and hits enter.

\--  
_seen 10:19 PM_  
and she leaves her phone on her bed.


End file.
